


They Can Stay The Night (Or Forever, You Dork)

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Gen, M/M, Post Kaiju War, Shmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 21:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4682309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>OTP Prompt: one inexplicably bringing home an animal and refusing to drop it at the shelter so they and the other have to take care of it</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Can Stay The Night (Or Forever, You Dork)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [davecabbage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/davecabbage/gifts).



> For davecabbage! They're a big fan of Chaleigh and I figured I had to write it~
> 
> My tumblr is bamfcoyotetango if you wanna chat about this fic or pretty much any of my other fic on here. 
> 
> (I have a separate blog for the Sentient Jaeger AUs.)

Raleigh **_knows_** that he's supposed to leave it there. He knows that it'll eventually be picked up by some kind person and taken to a shelter. Really, he does. 

When he turns around the corner, it gives a tiny whimper that tugs on every bit of Raleigh's heart. He can't ignore the tiny scrap of a puppy sitting in the soaking wet box any longer. Chuck's going to thow a shit-fit but he can't leave it. He just... He won't abandon it. 

Raleigh will just have to convince Chuck that they'll take it—Oh. There's two in the box, one grey and one that he swears up and down is blue but is covered so thickly in mud that he can't tell. 

Scooping them both up hardly takes a second. He tucks them into the pocket of his hoodie to keep them nice and warm while he finds the proper food for them.

* * *

Raleigh sneaks into the apartment with the puppies now tucked into the hood of his hoodie, both barely making a change in weight. Max wuffs at the scent and Chuck comes into the living room with a yawn.

"Rals? Thought ye went out t' get breakfast, babe." The littlest pup yips into the silence, causing Max to bark. "Raleigh Becket, if that is a dog, so help me..." 

"They're little and I couldn't leave them sitting in a box that was gonna float away in the next ten minutes. You know how bad the rain is right now. Some heartless ass-butt just _left_ them there and you know how I feel about that kinda thing." Raleigh blurts out in reply as he reaches into the hood and pulls the still bedraggled puppies out to show Chuck. 

Chuck takes a long look at them and sighs. "Fine. They can stay the night but you gotta wash 'em and put 'em in the bathroom. Don't want Max licking them." 

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ ," Raleigh peppers Chuck's face with kisses. "I'll go do that. Breakfast is on the table." 

"Yer lucky I love you!" Chuck calls over his shoulder. 

"I know, you're only reminding me every ten minutes husband." Raleigh laughs as he gently soaps the puppies and towels them off into tiny fluff-balls. "Y'know, you're kinda adorable for being so damn tiny." He whispers to the sleepy pups. 

They protest the removal of his warm hands so he digs through the closet for his old Uni sweater with the upright pocket, settling them down in it and changing, putting the now dirty hoodie into the washer. 

"I think I might forgive the little squirmy additions, husband." Chuck cups Raleigh's cheeks and gets up on his tip-toes for a soft kiss. "'M never gonna get used to that. Husband." 

"Husband." Raleigh says in a serious tone before laughing. "Me either, Chuck. I think it'll take a bit." 

"But we've got all the time in the world now," Chuck hums thoughtfully before he peers down at thier newest additions. "Forgot you owned that one. Y'know... Don't think they're big enough just yet fer th' shelter down th' road." 

"Nah. Can we... Can we keep them here? Just until they can walk on thier own and eat solids." Raleigh says as they whine pitifully, tiny paws catching on the soft fabric. 

He detangles them with a chuckle as he lifts them up, one after the other, to feed them with a rubber nipple full of puppy formula. They gulp it down and a thin dribble of poop ends up on the warm wet rag he uses to wipe thier butts. They fall asleep with little squeaks as they use each other like pillows. 

"You're suspiciously good at this." Chuck squints at him as he rinses out the rag and hangs it to dry. 

"I asked the front desk lady. She, uh, gave me a few pointers and said they needed to be fed every couple hours. They're about three weeks old n definitely not from the same litter." Raleigh admits as Max snuffles at his pocket. "Shoo, you big softie." 

"Ye think he'll eat 'em?" comes the unsure question. 

"Mmm, no but I wanna wait 'til they're a bit bigger t' introduce 'em. Otherwise he'll jus' bowl them over." Raleigh murmurs as they eat thier own breakfast, Max crunching on his kibbles as he looks at Raleigh's pocket every now and again.

* * *

It turns out that every two hours is what they need. Raleigh's on leave and he feeds them around the clock with Chuck, wiping after them and barely remembering his own food. He falls asleep with them on his chest a lot more than he thought he would. 

Max tags at his footsteps until the puppies hit the one month mark and are big enough to stand up to a nosing from the older bulldog. 

All Max does is sniff them over, settling down for a nap, not even bothered by the racing pups who chew on his ears and squabble with squeaks and tiny growls. 

Raleigh films it all with his cell phone, laughing as Max just rolls over to half-heartedly lick at the grey puppy. The blue barrels right into his legs and he scoops her up with one hand. 

"You are a danger, y'know that?" He coos, setting his phone on the couch and playing with her gently. Raleigh giggles when he gets tackled by the grey pup both of them licking his face with little puppy tongues. 

That's how Chuck finds him, surrounded by dogs and smiling so brightly that Chuck sneaks a picture on his own cell phone. 

**_(It ends up being Chuck's lock screen for months afterwards.)_ **

* * *

Raleigh yawns as he scoops up the puppies and sets them down in front of a bowl of soft food. Max boofs as he feeds the older dog, finally scrubbing at his eye crusts to see Mako looking at him. He shuffles over to her and presses a sleepy kiss to her forehead. 

"When'd you get back in?" 

"Yesterday. Chuck sent me the most adorable pic I've ever seen." Mako pulls it up while Raleigh blinks at it for a bit. It's him and he's surrounded by the puppies and Max, all of them passed out on the floor together. 

"'S cute. You want anything? I gotta take Max out for his walk soon." 

"No. Tendo thought they were adorable."

"They grow on you." Raleigh hums over his shoulder as he pulls out breakfast ingredients. 

He eats his eggs, rinsing the plate and taking Max outside. The bulldog takes his time, peeing in one spot, sniffing another and then taking a poo just to the left of their neighbor's rosebushes. He picks it up in a bag and flicks the bag into the mini trash-can on the post at the corner of the street on his way back. 

He washes his hands in the half-bath after wiping off Max's paws. 

Mako and Chuck are eating pastries with clotted cream. Raleigh curls his arm around Chuck's waist and kisses him thoroughly, pulling back to touch his forehead to his husband's. He licks his lips, chasing the taste of the cream. 

"Sneaky hubby." Chuck chides as he offers Raleigh a pastry. It's nipped from his fingers with a cheeky wink and a grin at Mako. 

"Takes one to know one," he points out after he swallows his bite. 

Mako just shakes her head at them. "You two are still mushy even after all these years." 

"Can't help it, Maks." Raleigh murmurs as he presses an absent kiss to Chuck's temple.

* * *

The puppies (which still don't have names) grow until they can peer over the edge of the pocket to look at Max. The blue one turns out to be an Australian Shepherd (blue merle with copper streaks) and the grey one is an Irish Wolfhound. 

At this point, he knows he needs to bring them to the shelter. They're eating solid food and they're at the age of adopting. Raleigh puts in the warm towel. As he's about to put them into the carrier, Chuck comes back from work. 

"It's time?" 

"Yeah." 

"Think I might actually miss the little buggers." Chuck mentions quietly as they chew on each other's ears. 

"Me too." 

Chuck and Raleigh stare at the pups for a long moment before he closes the grating. 

They get into the car, driving until the stop sign at the end of the road before Raleigh and Chuck turn at the same time. 

"We can't drop them off." They say in perfect sync. Chuck blinks at Raleigh as Raleigh recovers first. 

"You... You mean that?" 

"I got attached." Chuck mutters as he scrubs the back of his neck with his hand. 

"Oh good. I thought it was just me." Raleigh sighs in relief, kissing Chuck on the cheek as they turn the car back around.

* * *

The puppies yip and bounce around Max when they're let out of the carrier, the blue's ears flopping. 

"So, they've gotta have a name at some point. Can't keep sayin' blue n grey." Chuck offers as they watch them play. 

"What about Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka?" Raleigh asks as the puppies skid on the hard-wood floor. 

"Sounds about right."

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
